the highest compliment irish catholics can give to another man or woman, literally, my grandpa used to say, a complement i paid to your dad, george mcgovern was a good and decent man. [applause] >> former senate will oh honor george mcgovern. he died at age of 90 this past sunday which while he was best known for losing to richard nixon he also established the

modern day food stamp program. he let the congress to the vietnam war and brought many well-known figures into politics for the first time including bill clinton. this is live coverage on c-span. snothe ♪

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>> jesus said i am the resurrection and the life, those who believe in me even though they die shall live. i am alpha, the begin linging tapped end, the first and the last. i died and behold i am alive forever more and i hold the keys of life and death. because i have live, you shall live also. friends, we have galingtered here to praise god and witness our faith as we celebrate the life of george mcgovern. we come together in grief acknowledging our human loss and we ask that god would grant

us grace that in pain we might find comfort, in sorrow, hope, and in death, resurrection. the pastor of the church is fish yating with me today. let us pray. god, we praise you for the company of all those who finished their course and now rest from their labor. today we remember eleanor, terri and steve mcgovern. we praise you for those deer to us who we've named in our hearts before you and especially we praise you for george mcgovern who you have

grarbleely received into your presence. oh god, grant us your peace. let your light shine on all of us and help us so to believe where we have not seen that your presence may lead us through your years and bring us at last within in the joy of your home not made with hands but eternal in the hevvens. through jesus christ our lord we pray, amen. ♪

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brothers and sisters, family and friends, and senator mcgovern, the holley scrip

chure tell us there is a season for everything, time to be born and a time to die, time to weep and a time to laugh, time to mourn and a time to dance. george stanley mcgovern was born over 90 years ago and now he has died. we weep over the loss of this wonderful man and yet we laugh because he is now finished his final stage in growth in dying. we mourn his departure and yet we dance as we remember the legacy he left behind our state, our country, our world is better because of the

footprints that he has left behind. soon after his first election to congress, i was given my first assignment as a young priest freshly meanted from lengthy seminary training. we both started in mitchell. the last few years by luck we wound up in the same neighborhood and shared time his residence in florida. often he mentioned his ambition to live to be 100. jim, it's in my jeans.

once when i did -- jeans once when i did remind him when he this. december of dawn who sought permission to mayor . only gave his permission to marry a mortal man but her any one wish she . oh, never he agreed.

aurora as wrinkled and forgetful and feeble. when aurora came back to do him into an insect. later but not too long ago with his strength fading senator said to me one

jim, i think those greeks might have been on is why george said right here on this stage he was or kesstra and they were doing this wonderful performance. he said i keep looking for old friend who have passed on to world beyond and i had no idea what's out there but feel it's going to be is a season and a time for every matter under heaven.

, i want to tell you that your presence is a treasured gift to all members of the mcgovern family. i want to say to you in the name of the family and closest friends, thank you, thank you for coming to this memorial service from near and from far. the city, state and national reaction to the senator's demice is simply stunned everyone. why is his death so highlighted across the whole nation and indeed throughout the world in

radio , television and newsprint journalism? for some, it has to be his leadership on feeding the hungry, the work of mercy of our one world family so that millions of children have not starved or died or become retarded because of proper nourishment and because of the efforts of this man. others love him for proving to america that you don't have to be a hawk in order to be a good pate yot of our beloved country.

and still other may have been charmed by this man william f. buckly was as conservive as senator mcgoven was progressive and yet when his son asked him what he thought of george mcgovern, william buckly said he was the single nicest human being i have ever met. his son printed that answer in his book called "mom and pop" he wrote after both of them had died. and here in south dakota political his torns from both universities that i was affiliated with have claimed that george mcgovern almost

single hand edly brought his party of a long slumber and it became a state bipartisan again . so rest in peace dear friend t. is better because you our way and we're all worse without you. most of us believe christ's resurrection proves death. with that firm belief, we say but not forever, but just for now until we meet again in a better world. may god the father who created

you, god the son who redeemed you and god the hoil spirit who sankfide be yours this day and you live in his company

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a song of sense. lift up my eyes to the hills from where will my help come? from the lord heaven and earth. not let your foot be moved. he who keeps you will not he who keeps israel will not slumber or sleep. the lord is your shade shade the sun shall not strike you by

day nor the moon by night which keep you from evil. your going out and this time on and forever more. from y say chapter 40 versus 28 have you have you not heard is the ever lasting god the creator of the earth. he does not faint or grow weary unsearchable. he streppingtens the powerless. even youths be faint and warry. but those who wait for the lord shall he knew their strength. mount up with wings eagles. they shall walk and not faint.

>> i'm congressman jim mcgovern from massachusetts. when eleanor roosevelt died it was said that i've lost more than a friend, i've lost an inspiration and that's the way i feel today. deep down i know george mcgovern is in a better place. he's with eleanor and terri and steve. who knows, he may even be president. but for so many of us it is difficult to say goodbye. it was always comforting to know that he was around reminding us we can do better, making it seem possible we could end all wars, eliminate hunger and poverty and create a

world where all god's children are respected valued and loved. in 1972 as a seventh grader in massachusetts i did what i could to elect him president of the united states which i remind you all he did win massachusetts. [applause] i was later an intern in his senate office and i had the privilege to work with the incredible staff he assembled in washington d.c. and south dakota, some of the finest people i have ever known. we weren't related it was just a co-incidence we both had the same last name. but people would tell me they were long-time supporters of my dad. and they always seemed shocked when i told them my dad owned a liquor store in massachusetts. i urged them to keep supporting

him. for 35 years i have been honored to call senator mcgovern my most treasured friend and i loved him very much. he was a great man but more importantly he was a good one. he had about him a deenssi, he was generous and kind. he was funny and had no patience for cynicism. he was passionate and principled but not dogmatic or self-right courthouse. he loved his family and friend and faith and american history and a good steak. he loved this great state of south dakota and my god, did he love his country. even after the 1972 campaign, even after losing 49 states and losing his senate seat in 1980, he maintained his optimism and faith in government and his belief that america's best days

were always ahead which he became a war hero a prd and congressman and a presidential nominee of his party. but he wasn't a don't you know who i am type of guy. we can all hear him saying to someone who knew perfectly well who he was, you know fred, i ran for president fred in 1972 which is not to say that he was about pride. this is a man who jumped out of an air plain at age 88. while he did that to raise knowledge about hunger. he wanted to prove he still had a little fly boy in him. he had a way with words, come home america, don't throw away your conscious. he was eloquent in moving but his actions were more powerful. there were millions and millions around the world who are not starving to death who

have hope because of george mcgovern's actions. perhaps because he witnessed the who are rors of war, he was a champion for peace. not because he opposed all wars but because he knew that war all represents a failure of human imagination. even when some have the audacity to question the war heroes patetism. he refused to dream up new wars for men to die in. to susan and mayor and all the grandchildren, thank you for sharing him with us when it wasn't easy because there are many across the country who consider us his children. his incredible public service is also your public service and we will for ever be greatful. thank you for giving thus public servant. as was said in the 1972

campaign he wanted a mcgovern presidency because george is such an ordinary man not in a regular sense but the presidency was designed for ordinary men not for larger than life men on horse back. if george mcgovern were president he wouldn't stand for a c.i.a. pushing people around. he wouldn't stand for price fixing or theseous rashese people who work for wages and pay their taxes and he wouldn't try to prove his manhood by prolonging a war that shouldn't have started in the first place. it's a dam shame this happened to george because i don't know how long it will be until we have a president who feels like that. he was right. our country missed an incredible opportunity in 1972. [applause] but even though george mcgovern lost that election, that loss

is not his legacy. right now there is a family in new jersey that can put food on their table. there is a little girl who has never heard his name who has enough to eat and is getting an education. that's his legacy. and it is up to us to each and every one of us to carry that legacy forward. we love you senator. [applause] i'm garry heart of colorado.

nations even great nations sometimes require a voice of conscious. george mcgovern was the voice of conscience for our nation in our time. the voice of con sheens began with israel with it's profits call israel back to their purpose and cause. in america george mcgovern stood in the tradition of henry david author row of william brian and more recently of robert kennedy and of martin luther king. when the wounded veteran in vietnam needed a voice he was there. when the hungry child in american poverty needed a choice, he was there. when women, minorities and young people sought to

breakdown the barriers of a closed political system, his voice was there. when sinister voices corrupted the political system and haunted the corridors of power in washington, he was there to warn us. voices of conscience make us uncomfortable. our political system forces them to the march. those made uncomfortable by george mcgovern's voice of conscious dismissed him as a liberal in an age which rids libber lism. he was larger than any liberal particularly a non-niesed one. liberals did not get elected and re-elected in conservative states which they did not take on unpopular causes

particularly in recent years and most of all liberals did not fly dangerous missions in defense of our nation. this made his many critics who avoided military service especially uncomfortable. somewhere in some small town in this great land is the young man or a young woman who will learn of george mcgovern and his voice. some day that young man or woman drawn to action by his life as a voice of conscious will rise up to call america home, to summon the better nature, to justice and in e callty and to challenge us to

live up to our constitutional promise. george mcgovern's voice is not gone, it's simply baiting the voice of conscience that have the voice of their conviction. afternoon. my name is jim. i'm susan mcgovern's husband and george's son-in-law and i which. and he squd me to say a words his funeral about his life

long love affair with the st. louis saturday nals which i'm born in 1868 so he was an older man george and the other children came along and he was a rather apparently a rather stern figure, not the kind of man who would toss a baseball around with the boys in the front yard. at one his father's revival his brother were talking baseball to each other and his father me see that baseball thought they were in trouble because their dad did them to sports.

and they were stunned when took the baseball a of hit a mouse. he was apparently a transform tive experience. and that's when the reverend joseph mcgovern who at the was either 65 or 66 years old told in an earlier been a professional on the team in des moines iowa that had an st. louis . loved the listened to them on the radio but now he had a more personal connection with the whole notion of the

st. louis cardinals. asked him one day what was it like to be a boif of 12 or 13 and learn that your dad been a professional baseball player. and he thought about it for a he said well not every boy in mitchell had a a professional baseball player. george followed the cardinals if i may say so in here a habit that's not unknown to a lot of us but get the newspaper in the morning and he would turn it it back to front looking for the box scores and he would read the cardinals box he would absorb all of the statistical data and often if a game had been on television or an important game, he would call our house to susan first and wants to

talk to you about the game. a lot of wonderful on the phone, especially last year when the managed to sneak into the playoffs and win the world series. several years ago susan and i were in susan and i george and eleanor had bought a house there. had when they're in the late winter. the west coast, double coast. , another friend had come up with tickets to the st. louis cardinals spring training game. another to go with him? i said, sure. to drive out to

the east coast of florida, the other side of the state, to where the cardinals played their spring training games. we got, what family members will know as the typical late departure -- [laughter] of i go into great detail. let's just say, if it were a story, it would have had died, late, on time, and 100 miles per hour in the same headline. we have a wonderful time at the game. got sunburned. the cardinals won. there was a close play at second base where the second baseman got knocked over. george's story, it would have dad had beend

baseman. george was telling us about how much physical courage it took to play second base, like his dad. you got run over all time. game, we got leave and one guy came where all of the official identification, had a clipboard, said, senator, would you ? george said, absolutely. over, we walked out onto the field, we walked across infield down the right-field line passed a couple of players. the atlanta braves coach. to the outfield wall, walked through a door into a small concrete room, and there was tony. he got up and was gracious, greeted everybody. we sat around and talked cardinal baseball for about half hour. mostly listened. george told his story about his father, which tony had never

heard. it was just a wonderful moment. george was there with his st. louis cardinals cap on, listening to tony tell us what happened rest of the year. and all the way back to marco island. about every 15 minutes, george say, can you believe it, we just met tony la russa. you would think that we had met the president, or the pope, and george had met them. [laughter] but he got to me tony la russa. this was really a wonderful moment for him. became sort of telephone friends. would call after a cardinals lost. call for tony after a loss, they put you right through. [laughter] ,

ended up in the hospice. the colonel in the playoffs again. even though by that time, at the hospice, his eyes were closed, he was comatose, but we could talk to him, and we believe he could hear us. matthew or i would go in, depending on how the game was going. the cardinals are ahead, they are doing well. that his heart rate was up. was almost as if he wanted to talk to us about how good he felt that the cardinals were winning. as you know, they did not make it to the world series this year, they did not rally. unfortunately, george did not either. but i feel there was some final

connection therewith george and the cardinals. they both just sort of ran out of steam. it was a great privilege to talk baseball with george. he was a real fan. we were real fans of his, too. thank you. [applause] >> i am deeply honored to be here today and to have the opportunity to share some thoughts. i joined congressman mcgovern,

senator hart, all of those assembled here, and all the thousands who wished they could be here, to express our heartfelt condolences and deep sympathy to you and the extended family. i know i speak for the family in expressing our gratitude and deep appreciation to all of those very distinguished visitors, who in some cases have traveled great distances to be here, on the celebration of george's life. when george accepted his party's nomination, he offered this benediction. may god grant each of us the wisdom to cherish this good land and meet the great challenge that beckons us all home. now that he is beckoned home, we

will always be grateful for the ways that, through his life, through his work, and through his vision, and george lifted us far higher in meeting that challenge. someone asked st. francis of assisi what it takes to live a good life. he replied, preached the gospel every day, if necessary, use words. i have never known anybody who preached the gospel more affectively in so many ways than george. a peacemaker. a humanitarian. a teacher.

the minister. a congressman. a senator. a voice for the voiceless. and a champion for hungry children. in some ways, george's adult life began in war. when asked about his military service, he would always minimize his heroism. but the fact is, if he had done nothing after reaching the age of 25 years old, today, we would be celebrating the life of an american hero. 35 missions in a be-24 -- b- 24. and as we said last night, it hawould have been more if the

war had gone on. one more close call, shrapnel penetrate the winter of that one. nearly killing him, a blown wheel, an emergency landing. and on his 35th and final mission, so much fire and flak. when they landed, they counted the holes in his fuselage and wings, and it went -- numbered 110. george's life was not an easy one. he saw more than his fair share of our chips and loss. he fought many battles beyond the ones in the airplane. the hits he sustained in world war ii were easier to see, but in truth, he was riddled like

that inside much of his life. but it was through his incredible sense of humor, his determination to soldier on and set the example for others. has he shrugged over the tragic loss of terry, he observed, you just never get over it. i am sure of that. you get to where you can live with it. that is all. george outlive two children, taken too soon, terry and steve. and his beloved eleanor. in light of all that, there is a certain blessing in knowing that as he left us as he did, peacefully, with family and friends around, i do not know

about you, but i love the thought that george and eleanor, terry and steve, are all together now. throughout his life, as we all know, he had a love for mitchell. mitchell was his home. it is where he studied at dakota wesleyan. where he built his library when he returned home to continue his productive work in his last several years. and in many ways, it is all where it started. george and eleanor had four small children when he decided, in 1955, to resign as chairman of the history department at dakota wesleyan and build the democratic party. their friends agreed there could only be one explanation for this

decision. he was out of his mind. [laughter] actually, and george insisted there was another explanation. he said he had a desire to work in public service and be part of the world of ideas and the field of action. the hallmark of his career was his drive to bridge the gap between those worlds, to turn ideas into action, and aspirations into reality. his early years are now the stuff of legend and lore. crisscrossing the state of south dakota, shaking hands, collecting names on 3 by 5 index cards. to this day, i think duty has them all. [laughter] who could forget the classic

story in his autobiography "grass roots" -- and you know which one i am talking about. he was at the state fair. i stood on the wet, cold sought in front of the dismally small tent, he wrote there was no floor, i had no literature. i had no coffee, no elected officials. what is more, the gop had a live elephant. [laughter] when a democrat stop by and offered him the use of his donkey, george jumped at the chance, drove 14 miles in his chevy, a car, not a pickup, and there was the first multiple

political disaster. the adachi had sent one of his moves through the window, blood all over the car, relieved himself on a nun, bite the little girl, and pull the whole tent down. i have never trusted donkey's since, georgia wrote. they deserve to be called asses. [laughter] [applause] until i was senate majority leader that i of that statement. [laughter] he soon created an organization

that enabled him to be the biggest vote-getter in the state, 1966, and won a seat in the conference, becoming the first democrat to be sent to washington from south dakota in 22 years. he immediately became a force to reckon with, introducing a farm bill the very first day. over the course of several months, passed more legislation than any one of the 44 new members who had come in with him at the same time. his constituents were the people for whom he fought. they were s.d. families barely holding on to their family farms. they were common working people in south dakota, and all over the country. they were native americans, they

were poor people, hungry people , people others often overlooked. and then it was just as remarkable, in 1962, south dakota sent him to washington as the first democrat elected to the senate in 26 years. if george mcgovern had never entered politics, he might still have impacted thousands of people like me. most likely as a distinguished history professor, but i doubt that i would ever been elected to congress. growing up in south dakota, the idea of getting elected as a democrat seemed as likely as

martian landing in your yard. it just did not happen. [laughter] but because of what george had done, that changed. the fact that he won both his house and senate seat expanded the hopes and aspirations of hundreds of would-be democratic candidates, just like me. but even more was what he did those seats that affected us the most deeply, what he did. in 1972, i was a intelligence officer in the air force in omaha. my day job was analyzing intelligence data on the soviet union, but i had another volunteer job in the evening. helping to run the mcgovern for president primary office in omaha. it was certainly an unusual

combination, and i think i had the shortest hair cut of any one of around. but what attracted me was not all that this man was from my state. what attracted me was his intellect. his integrity. his passion for the things in which he believed. and his courage to speak out. and his enormous decency. i like what someone wrote about him in his mitchell high-school yearbook. for a debater, he is a nice kid. [laughter] but for a politician, he would be extraordinary. i will remember my first lesson in political leadership from george mcgovern. i have the opportunity to work in jim's campaign and then go to

washington. then jim that we come back here in 1976 to get around and get to know people. it was 1977. i had not yet announced. it was at the state fair. the country was consumed in a raging debate about the panama canal treaties. as we were walking down the fairway, a very angry crowd encircled george, demanding that he explain his position on those treaties, and change it, threatening that they would work hard to defeat him in the next election if he did not. george stood there and listened, quietly. when it was his time to talk, in

the most reason, calm, persuasive, particulate way, he shared with that group why those treaties were not only good for panama, but what they meant for us. the crowd dissipated. as we walked back to the democratic booth, i remarked that george, i said, george, i cannot but help, no the contrast between an angry crowd and what you just did. he said, i learned a long time ago, is a whole lot better to tell people what you believe from here, then to tell them what you think they want to

hear. [applause] george said the standard for candor, conviction, and for honesty. for two years, from 1978 to 1980, i had the honor to serve in the same delegation with george from south dakota. although he was the most senior and i, the most junior, he

treated me as an equal. and i cannot begin to tell you the lessons i learned watching this man. mostly by his example. lessons that i only wish people in washington could better understand today. like the fact that you can express your convictions deeply without ranting. you can disagree without being disagreeable. he showed me the cynics were wrong, that politics can be an honorable profession. but you make sacrifices in politics. sometimes, big sacrifices. but you do not sacrifice your idealism or your conscience. people sometimes talk about mcgovernism. some even use it as a pejorative. but mcgovernism means believing in basic american values. democracy, justice, the dignity of honest work, tolerance, and

never hesitating to embrace those values, even when they are not popular. it is courage combined with commonsense. it is recognizing our responsibility to face hard questions, like the shame of hunger in the world, for the reality of ill-advised wars in vietnam or iraq. mcgovernism means believing that government has certain, basic responsibilities, like guaranteeing civil rights and searching for ways to live peacefully in the world. it means choosing dialogue over blame. respect over division. hope over fear.

what made george a great public servant was not only his compassion and integrity, but it was his uncommon vision. he saw connections others did not see, like, the connection between political stability and hungry children. that vision became food for peace. and the mcgovern-adult education program. he also saw things sooner than others. in 1962, he said the most important issue of our time is the establishment of conditions for world peace.

nine months into his first term, he gave his first speech on the non. 1970, he warned about the dependence of the united states on fossil fuels. in 1984, he urgednine months inr american leadership to understand the complexity, challenges, and the volatility of circumstances in the middle east. i believe america would be a better place had george become president of the united states. [applause] that does not mean his campaign was a failure. far from it. the 1972 campaign opened up a political process. it confused a new generation leo understand the belief in what eleanor called the politics of the impossible. it was that kind of politics at

george earned the enormous respect, that crossed the aisle, and transcended party lines. and along with it, enormous achievement. there are children today -- and jim mcgovern mentioned it -- the children today in the world living and have better lives because of what george and bob dole did together. [applause] on the surface, george mcgovern and i should be poles apart, senator dole what said. after all, he is a liberal democrat and i am a republican of the conservative stripe. he ran for the senate as i was

chairman of the party. i believe our positions are diametrically opposed. yet in the most important ways, he said, i regard george as a close friend and kindred spirit. he is a decent man who puts principal above -- principle of expediency. another man that served in the 1960's said simply, george mcgovern is the most decent man in the united states senate. [applause] that was robert kennedy who spoke two months before he was killed. it is well known amongst his friends that george loved to drive. last night, mathieu spoke so

powerfully and eloquently about his experiences with his grandfather, including a drive to mitchell. jim tells me this great story of traveling from florida to south dakota through wisconsin last summer over nine days. i had my own experiences with george driving over the years in south dakota. i will never forget one night, it was a summer, story, a beautiful night. george and i were coming back from the chill, coming back from a program, driving through sioux falls. he was driving. we were going around 95 miles per hour and he was looking out the windshield saying, look at all the great stars, pointing them out one by one. [laughter] my eye were frozen on the road. i said, george, look at the dark road! [laughter]

metaphorically, and actually, george plowed down the road. his eyes focused on something beautiful and something distant. it in a speech at wheaton college in illinois a month before the 1972 election, he told his audience, i felt called into the work of serving others. at first i thought my vocation was in ministry, and i enrolled in the seminary. after a period of deep reflection, i thought i should become a teacher, yet, even at my teaching at dakota wesleyan, thought their cause something else for me to do, and that led me to politics. he went on in that speech to say that we know the kingdom of god

will not come from a party platform. we also know, he said, if someone is hungry, we give him food. if someone is thirsty, we give him during -- drink. if someone is a stranger, we take him in. if he is sick, we take care of him. if he is in prison, we visit him. that encapsulates simply and powerful in the story of george mcgovern's years on this earth. he and i had many favorite poets and writers.

one of our favorites was yeats. we both loved one of yeats' lines. think of where my glory begins and ends. my glory is that i have such friends. our glory, our glory is that we a friend named george mcgovern. [applause] n and i will

from the gospel of matthew. comes into angels him, he will sit on his throne of glory. he will separate people one from the sheep from the goats. then the king will say to those at his right hand, come you that by my father. inherit the kingdom prepared for you by the foundation of the world. i was hungry and you gave me food. thirsty and you gave me something to drink. i was a stranger and you welcome to me. i was naked and you gave me clothing. was sick and you took care of me. prison and you visited me. will answer him, when was it when we saw you hungry and gave you food at our thursday and gave you something to drink? win was its that we saw you a

stranger and welcome to you ordinate it and we gave you clothing? hen was it that you were in prison and we visited you? truly i tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of my family, you did it to me. he will say to those at his left hand, you who are cursed, depart to the eternal fire. i was hungry and you gave me no food. thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink. i was a stranger and you did not welcome me. you did not give me clothing. imprisoned and you did not visit me. when was it that we saw you thirsty or a stranger or net -- a stranger or sick and did not take care of you. he will answer them, actually i you just as you did not do it to one of the least of these,

you did not do it to me. these will go away into the eternal punishment, but the righteous shall have eternal life. [applause] ♪ ♪

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mcglaughlin.; this is a reading from the gospel according to luke. report about him spread to all of the surrounding country. he began to teach in the synagogue and was praised by everyone. in nazareth, where he brought -- was brought up, he went into the synagogue every day, as was his custom. he stood up to read. the scroll of isaiah was given to them.

the spirit of the lord is upon me because he has anointed me to bring good news to be poor. he has sent me to proclaim release to be captives, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the lord's favor. he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. the eyes of all of the synagogue were fixed on him. he said to them, today the scripture has been fulfilled in our hearing. gracious words came from his mouth. they said, is not this joseph's sun? he said to them, you will quote to me this proverb. doctors, yourselves. he said, truly i tell you, no profit is accepted in its profits -- prophet is accepted

in a prophet's hometown. there was a severe drought over the land. elijah was sent to none of them. none was plans except for the syrian. when they heard this, the synagogue was filled with rage. aydelotte -- they drove him out of the town and led him to the hill on which their town was built so that they may throw him off of a cliff. >> i greet you in the name and christ, the same price to promise, i will again and take you to myself so that where i am here you may be also.

of the methodist church. participate in this service and to have been family to preach the gospel. i think george would have wanted the last word of this marvelous celebration of his life to be the gospel. south dakota has lost one of its of the prairie. our nation has lost one of its heroes, and on wavering clarion voice for peace, -- compassion and decency. of the poor and hungry. the people of faith have lost a mature and disciple of the of jesus christ and a of the methodist way of life, to do no harm, to do know -- to do good and to stay in love with guy. -- with god.

lost a grandfather beloved cousin and in law. our prayers you move through this season of sorrow. you have embraced and endured remarkable dignity and charity a public season of grief. thank you for sharing george a generation that also breathes with you. on behalf of a profoundly grateful united methodist church who proudly claims george stanley mcgovern as a son an think coming today to celebrate and honor senator mcgovern's life and witness. i thank you for coming today to family's brief. i thank you for coming today to

goodbye to a dear friend, a political colleague, a trusted -- audio] of the culture and to embrace the common person and to tirelessly worked for the common good. george mcgovern was also a ophet. he called and inspired an entire generation to do justice, to love mercy and to walk humbly god. he focused the world's attention

on the plight of the hungry. he warred against evil and fought for peace. to repent a misguided, wasteful, and selfish decision and turned back to seeking and speaking the truth. jesus, articulate hometown to and not in preach the good news to the poor, to claim release to give site to be blind and to proclaim the year the proclaim the year of the lord's savior. news the -- to the poor and liberating the oppressed. jesus began his ministry of

teaching and preaching in gallegly. reviews. . hitting it out of the park. share his mission statement with his hometown allegation. declared the skirts of the because he bring good news to the poor. inaugural address. well of him. can they just here be delighted and proud expression? mary's kid? it is good to have him back home. done all right by himself. he created quite a stir with his

over there. we know him. he is ok. jesus was a smash, a hit, a rock star. things went terribly what -- terribly wrong quickly. jesus told a couple of stories to illustrate what he had read t isaiah. prophet isaiah and they ran him out of town. they tried to kill him. this was one of their own, one of their favorite sons. preaching when from outstanding to outlands is to out raises in a couple of minutes. -- a outlandish to outstanding in a couple of minutes. he picked a fight. jesus took up the tradition, the word from the prophet isaiah, which they all knew, which they felt were their own and he

reinterpreted the tradition in a that infuriated the time and patience. picked a rich, righteous fight. i have a hunch that we have all had experience picking fights. anybody feel like confessing today? [laughter] we all know how to pick a fight. if i ask you to pick a fight with the person seated next to afternoon, would you to try that, by the way? you would not know exactly what to do. you would attack their sense of worth, the sense of security, their sense of being in control, their sense of identity. that is exactly what jesus did with his hometown crowd. the day of the lord is here. amen, shouted. waiting for deliverance is over. amen, shouted. at last the lord is coming to

redeem his own. then jesus attacked their sense of well-being, their sense of being in control of god's word. jesus reminds them of the story from there history which they had conveniently forgotten. during the time of drought in israel when there were lots of poor and hungry people, god since the prophet elijah not to the people of israel but to a widow woman, an immigrant. imagine that. jesus was saying, do you remember that story? the home time -- the hometown crowd grew silent. just to rub it in, jesus reminded them of the story when many in israel had leprosy and god said the profit elijah and an army officer rather than all

of those poor deserving lepers in israel. the silence of the hometown crowd thunders into rage. it is the rate of being judged by god's word. it is the rage when an exciting new sermon tells a story we already know and we wish we could forget. let's be honest this afternoon. we do not like to be reminded of what we know is the truth. that which we know is just, that which we know god requires of us. that is the role of the prophet, is an it? that is what senator mcgovern did for our country. in his humble, plain talking but profoundly courageous way, he time and time again reminded us

by word and deed what god requires of us. the people in nazareth that first-degree to jesus and the man finally yelled kill him because he painfully reminded them of what they already knew, namely that god is free and alive and gracious beyond the bounds that we are willing to accept. god cures a syrian army officer through elijah. it was a lot more than they wanted to remember. they did not come to church to be reminded that god refused to pay -- played by their rules before and might well refuse to play by their rules again. don't you hate that? i hate it when the time -- when god does not play by my rules. this is the key to living the

gospel with integrity. god does not play by our rules. god in christ is always turning things upside down. god is always siding with the poor, blessing the peacemakers, giving birth to a future, always turning nobodies into somebod ies. senator mcgovern played by god rules. he lived by the rules of justice, peace, compassion, and love. the problem the people in nazareth had was not a jesus pick a righteous fight. their problem was not between the old and the new, the conservatives and the progressives, between change and tradition. the problem was between the people of god and their own memory. prophets cut so deeply not

because they predict the future or tell us what we do not know. they remind us of what we already know too well and turn that on us. when they do, there is a moment of dead silence when the smug satisfaction of hearing their gracious words turns to the silent recognition of being confronted by god's truth and justice. the prophet has preached a sermon we know by heart, the sermon we know by heart and are afraid to live. often people will say to me after i have preached -- probably other preachers here today have heard the same thing -- you were preaching to me today. i have started to respond by saying, i must have priest for

you today. all i did was to call forth and remind you of what you already know. you already know you are to be peacemakers. you already know you are to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, protect the children, eliminate hiv-aid, house the homeless, welcome the immigrants, do not kill that with god has created, do no harm, do all the good you can, love god and neighbor. you already know. senator mcgovern did not come preaching something new. he came proclaiming something we already know. something we already knew.

the 1972 speech at the jefferson-jackson day dinner in detroit. senator mcgovern echoed the theme of his presidential nomination speech and his entire presidential campaign. it challenged us to come home. to come home to the ideals that nourished us from the beginning. he challenged a divided and drifting nation to embrace the true we already knew. forty years later, his words seem as applicable as ever. i want to quote from that speech. what is needed is a revitalization of the american center based on the ideals of the republic. the center has shifted so far from our founding ideals that it bears little resemblance to the dependable values of the declaration of independence and

the constitution. i want america to come home from the alien world of power politics, militarism, deception, racism, special privilege to the blunt truth that all men are created equal, that they are in doubt by their creator with certain inalienable rights. among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. senator mcgovern continued, i want to this nation to turn away from cursing and hatred and war to the blessings of hope and brotherhood and love. let us choose life that we and our children may live and our children will love america not simply because it is theirs, but because of the great and good land all of us have made it.

one of the most courageous acts of speaking truth to power we will ever witnessed. senator mcgovern took to the senate floor in 1941 -- 1971 and declared to his colleagues and the nation, this chamber wreaks of blood, as he demanded once again and into the war in vietnam. the prophet was not accepted in his hometown. he told us what we already knew. others have preached to us. when senator mcgovern preached for us, for entire generations, it awakened a nation's hopes, but also its rage.

]frie -- friends, you may be surprised to hear a bishop or any religious leaders say this. you already know all you need to know about religion. if you have been going to church or synagogue or a mosque for one year or 10 years or 25 years waiting to know enough about god so you can swing into action, i am telling you you already know enough. you know deep in your heart that you know enough. you know what to do. jesus reminds us with every story, every parable, every teaching, at the commandment, we are to bring good news to the poor. we are to let the press to go free and proclaimed the year of the lord's favor. -- the oppressed go free and proclaim the lord's favor. i wonder how many people are

drowning in loudly next, hertz, sand, doubt and despair. how many do not have heard -- hurt, loneliness, doubt, and despair. how many know this and do not respond? [applause] just like jesus' hometown synagogue in nazareth, everyone of us of every faith tradition stands just by our own familiar stories of faith and transformation. what we already know of god's reconciling message. democrats, you already know what to do. republicans, you already know what to do. followers of christ, you already know what to do. each of us here this afternoon will be judged by what we already know god was us to do.

do not take my word for it. teaching is about the judgment of the nation's in matthew 25. here is the good news. some of you wondered if i would ever get to be good news, didn't you? [laughter] here is the good news. we do know what to do, don't we? we know the story of god's grace. we know that forgiveness, healing, enjoy art out worse. -- are ours. notnow god's grace is reserved just for us sitting here this afternoon. let us not fall silent. let us not rush to kill or

sideline our contemporary profits -- prophets. let us pick a righteous fight. let us remind the people in this great country what they know deep down. let us remind the people of this country what is truth, what is right, what is peace-loving, what is just. dear friends, do you desire to honor his legacy? it is not a rhetorical question. do you desire to honor his legacy? go forth today and engaged the fight for justice and righteousness. keep picking the righteous fights. you know what to do.

keep up the faithful witness, the world needs your leadership in the name and spirit of jesus. go get 'em. [laughter] sign her up. [applause] in 1962, pope john the 23rd said to george mcgovern, and you have seen this quotation many times, when you meet your maker and he asks, have been fed the hungry, and given drink to the thirsty and cared for the lonely, you, george, can answer yes. today, we celebrate george

stanley mcgovern is resurrected in christ. he has met his maker. we celebrate that he knew what to do and he did it. with every fiber of his being, with every word he spoke. today we celebrate that george mcgovern said yes, yes, lord, i fed the hungry, i liberated the oppressed, i proclaimed the lord's blessing. we as a grateful nation joint and saying, well done, george. well done, a good and faithful servant of the lord. he knew what to do and you did it. we release you now. we really see it now to god's everlasting arms.

rest in peace, may it be so. comment. -- amen. [applause] ♪ ["leaning on the everlasting arms"] ♪

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>> almighty god, into your hands we commend your son, george stanley mcgovern comment through jesus christ our lord. eternal god, and you have shared with us the life of george mcgovern. for all that george has given us to make us what we are, and for his life that in your love will never end, we give you thanks. we offer george back into your arms, comfort us in our loneliness, strengthen us in our weakness, and give us courage to face the future unafraid. to all those of us to remain in this live closer to one another,

make a staple to serve one another, and give to us to know that peace and joy with his eternal life. jesus christ our lord. pray like this, our father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, by kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. amen. >> made the god of peace, who brought from the dead our lord jesus and raised george

mcgovern in to his eternal and everlasting arms making a complete and everything good and just so that you may do his will, so that you may go forth and do what you already know to do, so that you may do what displeasing in god's sight. -- what is pleasing in god's sight. amen. ♪

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>> the early billings were not propitious. during the very first days, the japanese would occupy singapore, they would defeat -- they would occupy the philippines, they needed that of oil to continue the war. the occupy these areas. by the same token, the americans were not only defeated by the japanese, but in many ways humiliated by the japanese. 76,000 permit -- prisoners, about 11,000 of them were americans. the way in which they were treated was nothing less than brutal.

this was the real thing. the japanese be headed many of them. many of those american soldiers and the filipinos died of starvation. this was war in its worst form. the americans are not going to forget that. they're going to pay the japanese back. the war and the pacific was a racial war. it became a racial war. the japanese mr. did the americans and the americans, in turn, returned the favor. >> this weekend, world war ii, saturday night at 8:00 and midnight eastern on c-span3. >> i like the coverage because it is diversified. it covers all sides,

independent, democratic, and republican views. it is not boring because it is so topical. current events, which is very interesting to me. i love what is going on right now and they're talking about issues that a matter to americans right now. >> he watches c-span on >> communications. brought to you as a public service by your television providers. >> ahead of the election, we have been looking at the so- called battleground states. today's focus was on wisconsin. he will your the efforts by democrats and republicans in the state. and never viewed -- an overview from a reporter with the milwaukee journal sentinel. >> we're going to look at a battleground states to give you

a sense of what is going on the ground, and to talk about the factors that will make up issues that people consider as they go to election day. joining us today as we focus on the state of wisconsin is craig gilbert. thank you for joining us. a couple of facts according to what we have gathered when it comes to this date. when it comes to wisconsin, we are looking at 10 electoral votes. we're looking at an unemployment rate of 7.3%.

guest: our job growth has been slower than the national average, slower than ohio. better than nevada at the other end of the spectrum. kind of in that gray area for president obama and for governor walker, we had a fierce debate over the recall of gov. walker. the economy and jobs were central to that debate. a lot of conflicting statistics. somewhat sluggish jobs growth. nothing that would disqualify a president or assure his reelection. how does the state breakdown?

you have to look at our political history. wisconsin is a swing state and that is why we are talking about it. . a little misleading, though, because it is often extremely close and often very close to where the country is as a whole. where the country is as a whole.